Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Giessen Gießkannenmuseum (Watering Can Museum)

Gießkannenmuseum (Watering Can Museum)

An homage to the humble watering can.

Giessen, Germany

Added By
Christine Williamson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Giesskannenmuseum (Watering Can Museum).   Giesskannenmuseum
The Giesskannenmuseum (Watering Can Museum).   Giesskannenmusuem
A small percentage of the exhibit.   Giesskannenmuseum
Giesskannen supporters with photos of watering cans.   Giesskannenmuseum
A duck watering can purchased for the Giesskannenmuseum.   Giesskannenmuseum
A Hello Kitty watering can at the Giesskannenmuseum.   Giesskannenmuseum
A copper watering can at the Giesskannenmuseum.   Giesskannenmuseum
An antique watering can print owned by the museum.   Giesskannenmuseum
Watering cans at the Giesskannenmuseum   Stefan Flöper/CC BY-SA 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Over 1,000 watering cans in every imaginable style are on display in a free museum atop a German mall.

The "Giesskannenmuseum" (Watering Can Museum) in Giessen celebrates the common watering can—be it antiquarian, modern, valuable or cheap.

The museum opened in 2011, funded by the City of Giessen and run by the Gaertnerpflichten artist group (Oliver Behnecke, Ingke Guenther, Esther Steinbrecher and Joerg Wagner). The location of the museum is no coincidence: the name Giessen means "to water".

There are more cans being added each week. Most are donated, but some are purchased especially for exhibition. Every can is cataloged, stories or memories from the former owners are collected and every donation is registered. The large collection emphasizes the great variety in watering cans. Though they all have a container, a spout, a shower piece and a handle, the cans vary in design, material and quality. Pressed metal, plastic or ceramic, chic design object or banal garden supply, for indoor or outdoor use, the watering can is a utilitarian object but also a beautiful one.

The museum has also acquired some beautiful prints from the late 19th century, where watering cans can be seen in different contexts. A collection of 26 sheets can be seen in a specially equipped display cabinet. On wood and copper, in engravings, lithographs and illustrations, the watering can is sometimes shown as protagonist and sometimes as a mere accessory. 

Since spring of 2012, the Giesskannenmuseum has cooperated with the Frankfurt art project "Botanoadopt", by Haike Rausch and Torsten Grosch. Here "neglected and abused houseplants" receive individual names and biographies and are presented in the Watering Can Museum for adoption, but only into good hands. 

Update May, 2018: The museum has moved and is now located at Sonnenstraße, near the Botanical Garden. It's visible from the street and can be found easily now.

Related Tags

Niche Museums Gardens Museums And Collections Museums Collections Plants

Know Before You Go

Entrance is still free and opening times have expanded to now cover Wednesdays 10-13.00, Fridays 15-18.00 and Saturdays 12-16.00 (Spring 2018).

Community Contributors

Added By

Christine Williamson

Edited By

dgrebe, Molly McBride Jacobson

  • dgrebe
  • Molly McBride Jacobson

Published

September 19, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gie%C3%9Fkannenmuseum
  • http://giessen-entdecken.de/locations/giesskannenmuseum/
  • http://www.mamilade.de/hessen/giessen/ausflugstipps/museum/zu-besuch-im-giesskannenmuseum-giessen
  • http://giesskannenmuseum.de/
Gießkannenmuseum (Watering Can Museum)
3 Sonnenstraße
Giessen, 35390
Germany
50.58634, 8.676693
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Schlammbeiser Statue

Giessen, Germany

miles away

The Three Gossips

Giessen, Germany

miles away

Elefantenklo

Giessen, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Giessen

Giessen

Germany

Places 6

Nearby Places

Schlammbeiser Statue

Giessen, Germany

miles away

The Three Gossips

Giessen, Germany

miles away

Elefantenklo

Giessen, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Giessen

Giessen

Germany

Places 6

Related Stories and Lists

The Ultimate List of Wonderfully Specific Museums

List

By Molly McBride Jacobson

Related Places

  • The museum entrance.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Museo Dolores Olmedo

    This extraordinary art museum is like a secret world on the edge of Mexico City.

  • Outside Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum in Boulder City, NV, with the owner’s custom hearse parked in front.

    Boulder City, Nevada

    Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum

    A professional special effects makeup artist’s collection of horror creatures and one-of-a-kind recreations on display in downtown Boulder City.

  • Charlottesville, Virginia

    Monticello's Vegetable Garden and Fruitery

    Thomas Jefferson's estate is home to hundreds of varieties of historic fruits and vegetables.

  • A bust of Xavier Jouvin and his invention, the “iron hand.”

    Grenoble, France

    Musée de la Ganterie (Museum of Glove-Making)

    The cellar of a former factory is now home to a collection of gloves, machines, and tools of the trade.

  • The American Museum of Cutlery.

    Cattaraugus, New York

    American Museum of Cutlery

    This edgy museum will whet your appetite for the industrial history of Western New York.

  • Amsterdam Tulip Museum.

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Amsterdam Tulip Museum

    Tucked in the back of a flower shop, its collection details the fascinating history of the Netherlands's iconic symbol.

  • Poster House Museum.

    New York, New York

    Poster House Museum

    The first museum in the United States dedicated entirely to posters.

  • The courtyard.

    Mexico City, Mexico

    Franz Mayer Museum Courtyard

    These museum grounds are a Dalai Lama-declared peace oasis.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.